AGVs increase the production capacity for lithium batteries for forklifts
EA Mobile Robotics has delivered an AGV system to Toyota Material Handling Manufacturing Sweden. The AGVs will act as mobile workstations in an assembly line for lithium batteries.
Toyota Material Handling Manufacturing Sweden (TMHMS) in Mjölby, Sweden, has one of the world’s largest factories for the development and manufacturing of different types of warehouse forklifts. Toyota’s corporate philosophy “The Toyota Way” is applied at all levels of the business to achieve as efficient production process as possible. The TMHMS production line includes manufacturing of lithium batteries for the forklifts. To increase production capacity for this manufacturing stage, Toyota chose an AGV system from EA Mobile Robotics.
The solution has given TMHMS a safe, available, and flexible system
Lithium batteries of different sizes and capacity types are assembled and tested in the production line. Each AGV can carry up to two batteries at the same time, depending on size and type. To achieve good ergonomics and efficiency in the assembly process, the AGV has an integrated lifting table with a turntable.
On its way to the next assembly station, the AGV picks up new materials which means the return path is also utilized.
– TMHMS is very good at creating efficient production processes, and it’s clear that they take this into account at every stage of the process. The solution has given TMHMS a safe, available, and flexible system, says Oskar Kurtti, sales representative at EA Mobile Robotics.
Delivered with an Andon system
The AGV system also includes an Andon system that among other things delivers detailed and clear status reports concerning ongoing production.
In recent years, lithium batteries have become an increasingly popular battery solution in Toyota’s forklifts. Some advantages of lithium batteries compared to lead batteries are longer service life, higher energy density, possibility of faster charging, and the same capacity achieved with much smaller and lighter batteries.